


Between a Rock and a Hard Place

by MrsDvlDg



Series: Magnificent Pet Rocks [5]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Angst, Corvid-19, Family, Humor, Mental Health Issues, Other, Sibling Love, pet rocks, social distancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:07:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23296747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsDvlDg/pseuds/MrsDvlDg
Summary: Inspired by reality and the hardship of family members living in facilities not allowing visitors to protect their health, Josiah has to come up with a creative way to visit his sister, Hannah.  We will adapt and survive.  And our reunions will be all the sweeter for the bitterness of this necessity created by this virus.
Series: Magnificent Pet Rocks [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1626334
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	Between a Rock and a Hard Place

It was highly unusual for Josiah to mope around or growl at his coworkers. So when JD told yet another joke about the toilet paper shortage, everyone was surprised to hear Josiah threaten to remove the youngest's vocal cords, the hard way, should he tell another joke. He followed the threat up with a second one: if JD spoke for any reason for the next two hours, Josiah would seal his mouth shut with surgical tape from Nathan's med bag.

JD beat a hasty retreat to the break room while the other five stared at their profiler. It was finally Chris that broke the silence.

“Josiah, what is your problem?” he growled out. “It's bad enough that we're all stretched thin without you terrorizing one of your own team. JD's coping mechanism is joke telling. Don't like them? Then IGNORE them!”

Josiah looked like he was seriously considering taking a swing at his boss. Vin balanced on the balls of his feet, ready to break up a fight before it could get started. The office furniture couldn't handle a knockdown, drag out fight between Josiah and Chris. After several tense moments, Josiah sank back down into his desk chair.

“Sorry. I just got word that the staff is not letting anyone in Hannah's facility due to Covid-19. She uses my visits to connect with reality. They're encouraging phone calls, but it's not the same.”

Nathan sighed and patted Josiah's shoulder. “But a phone call is better than nothing, Josiah.”

“But I usually take her things as well... Flowers or a coloring book. Things like that.”

“Can you still send care packages?” Vin asked.

“Sure, but I normally send very special things in those.”

Ezra thoughtfully stroked his chin. “Could you send her a rock? We could all help you write down why rocks are so special. That would be a nice surprise, right?”

Josiah shook his head. “They'll never let her have it. Custard came to me because I was there when the staff found the rock that Hannah had painted yellow. They were worried she'd throw it during a fit. She wailed about it until I promised to take care of it for her.”

“What about a prop rock?” Buck suggested.

“Prop rock?” Josiah asked.

“Yeah. Get some plaster gauze from Nathan. I can show you how to make a small stone from that and a flour paste.” Buck looked up to see JD had come out of the break room so his whole team was looking at him like he'd grown a second head. “What?”

“Um, pard... How do you know how to make fake rocks?” Vin managed to choke out.

“My mother worked in Vegas. They do shows there? Remember? Shows need props and I was a bored kid sometimes so I hung around the prop crew. I picked up a few things.”

“Nice to know you learned something besides your shameless flirting,” Chris muttered.

“Well...” Buck started.

“Shut up!” Chris cut him off.

Josiah steered the conversation back into safe territory.

“Would Hannah be able to paint a plaster rock?”

“Sure. We just have to make it waterproof first. Latex paint will do that trick.” Buck's eyes twinkled. “Hey, let's start it now so the gauze center has time to dry. Tonight I'll come over and help you through the next step. Then tomorrow will be painting it so it looks like a rock.”

Josiah smiled. “That means it will be ready for me to take on my normal visiting day. The staff have set up a drop box. Then I can sit in my car, call Hannah and talk to her as they deliver it to her.”

Team Seven grinned at Josiah's excitement. His mood seemed completely turned around. Enough so that JD wrote on a notepad and handed it to Josiah.

The big man read the note and boomed out in laughter.

“Yes, JD, you can talk now. Hell, go ahead and tell those completely stupid jokes if you must.”

7*7*7*7*7*7*7

Josiah was amazed at how realistic the plaster rock looked when he and Buck were done with it. Buck had mostly just given Josiah directions and let the older man create the rock on his own. It was a mostly round rock. He had created a couple of divots and the bottom was flat to keep the rock from rolling too much. It took three different painting sessions to create the natural look, layering different shades of gray on top of each other. He smiled at the box sitting next to him as he drove the Suburban to Hannah's facility. He had been given a drop off time to help those wanting to leave things for their loved ones keep to the prescribed distance of six feet. The times were set in 15 minute intervals. He was to drive up to the main door, leave the package, and then drive off. A staff member would exit the building to then pick up the package. Josiah had wiped the rock down with a disinfecting wipe to make sure the paint wouldn't come off. Buck was right. That latex paint held up.

He dropped off the rock and then drove around the building to park where Hannah could look out the window of her room and see his car. At least she'd know he had come to see her, even if they couldn't touch each other.

The phone rang for a while before Hannah picked it up. Josiah waited patiently. He knew that sometimes a ringing phone didn't register in Hannah's world.

“Hello?” came a soft, questioning voice.

“Hi, Hannah.”

“Josiah? You're supposed to be here. Why aren't you here?”

“Hannah girl, do you remember we talked about that new germ that had people needing to avoid being around other people?”

Silence and then a soft “Yes.”

“To protect you and all the other people you live with, I can't come in to see you today. But I left something special for you, and if you look out the window, you can see my car. We just have to adapt today.”

Josiah saw the blinds over Hannah's window move. He stuck his hand out his car window and waved. Tears filled his eyes as his heart swelled as Hannah waved back.

“Brother.”

“Yes, I'm here. I won't let you down, sister. If this continues on to our next visit, I'll drive up and we can talk on the phone again. In the meantime, I dropped off something for you to hold. It should be arriving soon.”

Josiah talked with Hannah until she reacted to someone entering her room. He could hear her opening the box and hoped that she would remember he was still on the phone. He heard the staff member gently remind Hannah about the phone.

“Josiah, you sent me a rock?”

“Yes. Do you remember the yellow rock you painted?”

“Uh-huh. They wouldn't let me keep it. They were going to throw it away and you saved it.”

“I did. Last year, a friend of mine had his pet rock broken and the whole team chipped in to replace his pet with six more rocks. It turned into a way we guys said that we cared about each other. Your new rock is made from plaster which means it can't hurt anyone if you accidentally throw it.”

“Josiah...”

He could hear the emotion in her voice and swallowed a lump.

“I love you, Hannah. And even if I can't be there right now, I can give you something to hold onto until I can be there again.”

“Since the rock's not real, I can't make it pretty though.”

“Yes, you can. It is waterproof. And if it breaks, I can make you another one.”

Josiah heard Hannah put the phone down and start digging through what had to be her paint box. When a voice came on the line, it was not Hannah's.

“Mr. Sanchez, I do believe that Hannah is completely distracted by her new plaster rock and the ability to decorate it.”

“No problem. This is fairly typical of how our visits end. Stay safe and healthy.”

“We will certainly try our best. God bless.”

“God bless you. And may we all be able to socialize normally soon.”

  
  


~ The End ~


End file.
